Paul Ryan scored his first big so-called win on Monday as Speaker of the House. The Democrats and Republicans have finally reached some sort agreement on whether or not to bailout the bankrupt U.S. territory Puerto Rico, according to a report from The Hill.
The agreement to restructure the island’s $70 billion debt crisis reportedly fulfills a promise that Ryan made to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democrats during spending talks last December.
This marks the first time that Ryan has handled such an issue by himself, without the help of John Boehner. Ryan has helped create wins on highway, education and government funding during his short time as speaker, but former Speaker Boehner played a part in almost all of those negotiations.
Although Ryan claims that he is not involved in the day-to-day negotiations for such appropriations, his Democratic counterparts say that there is more than he lets on. Apparently, Pelosi and Ryan were in frequent contact throughout the entire process.
“A lot of things needed to be worked out at the leadership level,” a Democratic aide said.
Ryan has received backlash from his more conservative peers in the House of Representatives on the bailout. However, he has apparently made special moves to ensure some conservatives wouldn’t derail the legislation. In several news conferences and statements, he aggressively refutes TV ads and media that blast the package as a taxpayer “bailout.”
Although the Puerto Rico legislation has not reached the House Floor, an agreement is expected to be made this week.